The Airline Operators of Nigeria has called for an urgent review of security procedures at Nigerian airports following the disruption of flight operations at major terminals in Lagos and Abuja on August 1, 2026.
The operators said the incident, during which union members blocked access to areas used by Air Peace, exposed weaknesses in the country’s airport security architecture and caused substantial disruption across the aviation network.
In a communiqué issued after its general meeting in Abuja, AON said blocking terminal entrances and check in counters prevented airline employees from accessing their workstations and disrupted passenger processing.
The association argued that interference with airport operations could have consequences extending beyond the immediate industrial dispute because Lagos and Abuja serve as major hubs for domestic, regional and international operations.
According to AON, more than 70 Air Peace flights were affected, with the airline estimating its losses at more than N2 billion.
The association also said more than 30 United Nigeria Airlines flights were affected, with thousands of passengers disrupted.
Airlines subsequently incurred additional expenses arising from passenger rebooking, refunds, accommodation, crew repositioning and aircraft rescheduling, it said.
AON maintained that the incident demonstrated the need to reassess Aviation Security response procedures at airports nationwide.
The association also addressed persistent passenger complaints about flight delays and cancellations.
It said airlines had little commercial incentive to deliberately delay flights because disruptions impose financial costs and damage their reputation.
Among the factors identified as contributing to delays were severe weather, congested aircraft parking areas in Lagos and Abuja, airports without night landing operations, airspace restrictions associated with VIP movements, bird strikes and foreign object damage.
AON also identified the availability and rising cost of Jet A1 aviation fuel as major operational challenges, claiming prices had risen above N2,500 per litre and supplies remained unreliable at some secondary airports.
The association meanwhile welcomed the ongoing reconstruction and rehabilitation of facilities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
It urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Federal Government to involve airlines at an early stage of airport infrastructure projects so that operational requirements can be incorporated into designs and potential functionality problems addressed before completion.
